CONSHOHOCKEN — A longtime Conshohocken resident and businessman with deep roots in the community believes the proposed Wawa on Fayette Street would harm the future development of the upper Fayette Street part of town.

Gary DeMedio, the president of DeMedio Keystone Realty Group of Conshohocken, is a second-generation realtor. His father started a realty business in 1943. The late Anthony DeMedio and his brother, Sam, started the realty business in the borough. DeMedio joined the business in 1972 at the age of 18 and bought it in 1989.

DeMedio has been the president of the Conshohocken Economic Development Corp. for the past 28 years and continues as a member of the Conshohocken Business Development committee.

“In the 1970s I was involved with the county and the borough in the redevelopment process back when Conshy was a decaying town. We had lost some manufacturers. I know where we were then and I know how we got here,” DeMedio said. “The redevelopment process addressed the lower part of town where the office buildings are located. There has always been a push to marry lower Fayette with upper Fayette to create a village commercial district, a walkable shop/dine area.”DeMedio pointed out that borough officials and businessmen were able to attract sustainable small businesses to the upper part of Fayette Street including Lenny’s Deli, Lavandar’s Day Spa, Conshohocken Café, Stone Rose Restaurant and Feine.

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The Conshohocken Planning Commission began a review of the proposed text amendment on Nov. 27 and heard criticism for the proposal from a majority of residents at the meeting. A second commission meeting on the project will be held Jan. 22, 2013 at the Washington Fire Co.

“Over the years we have promoted and attracted business to upper Fayette Street,” he said. “In spite of some restrictive zoning we have retained some of the local businesses and attracted new businesses.”

The developer has asked for a text amendment to the residential/office district which would add “convenience retail food store including the sale of fuel” to the permitted uses.

The plan includes a 4,149-square-foot market with 49 parking spaces on the sides and rear of the 1.45-acre lot at 1109 to 1201 Fayette Street. Two driveway entrances would be located on Fayette Street and a two-way driveway entrance would be located off Harry Street into the rear of the former E.F. Moore Chevrolet dealership. Ten gasoline pumps would be located on five gasoline islands under a canopy at the front of the property. An optional plan would add 22 additional parking spaces across the rear area on Harry Street.

“The proposed use of a 24-hour/7-days-a-week gas station convenience store would have an adverse affect,” DeMedio said. “The Wawa at that location is not a good use.”

He said the convenience store would adversely affect nearby businesses on Fayette Street and drop the monetary value of residential homes in the neighborhood.

The realtor said two prospective business owners interested in Fayette Street had pulled back after the Wawa plan was presented to the Conshohocken Planning Commission.

“A kitchenware specialty store owner, when they heard about the Wawa they thought the personality of the street would change. They put a lease on hold,” he said. “An art gallery owner said a convenience store with gas would change the character of the street. They are looking in Doylestown or West Chester.”

DeMedio pointed out that the Conshohocken Comprehensive Plan listed senior housing and a food market as two alternative uses for the former car dealership.

DeMedio emphasized that his opposition to the Fayette Street location was “not anti Wawa. It is an outstanding company. They have a great product. I am more pro Conshohocken.”

“I’ve made a commitment for 38 years to develop the upper Fayette Street and I made commitments to other shop owners,” he said. “We are trying to bring other businesses into town. My motivation is to finish the work I started. To keep the character, the personality and the integrity of the street.”

Anthony DeFazio, a member of the Conshohocken Revitalization Alliance (CRA) and president of DeFazio Communications, said the Conshohocken revitalization plan had concluded that a gasoline station of that size was not compatible with the other uses on Fayette Street.

“The CRA went door to door on Fayette Street asking what the community would like on the Moore site. What came back were three concepts - a senior housing facility, a mixed-use retail with condominiums or rentals on the upper floors and a new borough hall,” said DeFazio. “The senior living facility got the most community support followed by the borough hall idea.”

DeFazio said that a CRA petition against the Wawa plan had overwhelming Conshohocken participation.

“The CRA collected 700 petition signatures against the Wawa proposal. This was done online and door to door,” he said. “Of the 700 signatures, more than 95 percent are residents. The proponents of the Wawa like to boast they have 1,400 signatures on their petition. More than half were from outside of the community and were bogus.”